Sharia for new Libya

With Gadafy dead, the question now is who will run the country – Islamists or secular Liberals? On Saturday, the de facto prime minister Mahmoud Jibril said progress would depend on what kind of resolve the National Transitional Council (NTC) will show in the next few days and what the Libyan people want. Jibril also warned that Libya needed to find alternative sources of income because the country had already consumed 62 per cent of its oil under Gadafy.

NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil made it clear in his speech yesterday that Islam would play an important part in Libya’s future. “This revolution was blessed by God to achieve victory,” Jalil, who is considered devout but moderate, told the crowd. “And we must go on the right path.”

Libya, he said, would be a state where Sharia law would be the “fundamental source” of legislation and any existing legislation that contradicted Islamic principles would be immediately annulled.” He added the new state will not disallow polygamy and charging interest will be forbidden.

Elections are due to be held by June next year and the newly elected body would draft a constitution to be put to a referendum and form an interim government pending a presidential election. No constitution existed under Gadafi.

The world looks on with interest.